• The U.S. mixed aerials team won gold at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.
• This victory marked Team USA’s 11th gold medal, a new record for a single Winter Olympics.
• The team consisted of Chris Lillis, Connor Curran, and Kaila Kuhn.

LIVIGNO, Italy – The record-setting 11th gold medal for Team USA at these 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics came in high-flying fashion.

The United States mixed aerials team won gold, with Chris Lillis, Connor Curran and Kaila Kuhn flying and contorting themselves to the top of the podium.

The 11 gold medals in Italy are the most for the entire team at any Winter Olympics, surpassing the 10 won during the 2002 Salt Lake City Games. Alerted of the news in the mixed zone as gold medals hung at chest-level, the trio reacted with a mixture of pleasant surprise and glee.

The U.S. won the first mixed aerials event four years ago at the 2022 Beijing Games. As the lone member on both of those teams, Lillis has thought about why the Americans succeed in the team event but stumbled during the individual side. A lot of the athletes grew up playing team sports, he said. They can use one another for motivation.

“I think that really helps us, especially in aerial skiing,” Lillis said. “In aerials skiing, it can feel really lonely up there.”

They vibed off each other. From the beginning, they asserted dominance and departed the first round of finals in pole position. But scores reset and didn’t matter with four teams left in the field.

Kuhn set the tone. Curran squashed the nerves. Lillis delivered the haymaker – a jump that he had no issue with since it’s one he’s landed for 10 years.

Switzerland took silver and China finished with bronze. According to Lillis, the average aerials skier crashes on 60 percent of their jumps. For the Americans to go 6-for-6 while at least one skier from the six other countries competing was more than clutch.

Coming into the Olympics, the team figured to be Kuhn, Lillis and Quinn Dehlinger – the defending world champions in the event. But Dehlinger reaggravated a knee injury during training that forced him to not participate in both the individual and team event. Snow, wind and fog in the area for the last week also drastically altered the training schedule and made for underprepared jumpers.

Curran found out with the rest of the team that he’d be part of the trio around 6:30 p.m.

“I want to perform for my team,” he said. “It’s bigger than me. I’m glad I got to perform my best.”

Kuhn took gold at the 2025 world championships and also won the mixed aerials event with Lillis. She advanced alongside teammate Winter Vinecki to the six-person finals in the individual event, but both messed up their final jump to miss the podium.

On the men’s side, Curran and Lillis advanced to the 12-person final but didn’t make it past the six-person cutdown.

Kuhn said the team were “pretty crushed” by not medaling in the individual competitions.

“None of us really performed at our highest degree that we could have,” she said.

But the opportunity to bounce back was there. They used it as motivation, she said.

“It worked out in our favor,” Kuhn said.

But calling it redemption didn’t sit right with Lillis. It doesn’t erase what had happened less than 24 hours ago.

“I’ve fallen just short twice now, and it hurts, and I know that I’m capable of more,” said Lillis, who has 15 World Cup podium finishes. “And we’ll see, maybe in the future, I’ll be able to get that monkey off my back and get on the individual podium.”

Nor does it negate the joy of another gold medal, he said.  

“It’s so great to get Olympic gold with my teammates, and to do it for them, and them doing it for me,” Lillis said. “I couldn’t describe how special it is to bring home a gold for the U.S.”

MILAN — Keeping Jordan Stolz from getting another medal seemed to be more important for his competitors than winning one of their own.

Stolz finished fourth in the mass start Saturday, Feb. 21, after several of the top medal contenders refused to chase down an early breakaway. It all but assured Stolz would not be on the podium for the fourth time in as many races at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics.

‘I actually didn’t expect this to happen, just because I felt like the gold-medal favorites in the mass start were going to be more hungry to try and get a medal,’ said Stolz, who leaves these Olympics with two golds and a silver. ‘But they all were just kind of expecting me to go for it and, yeah, it didn’t really work.’

Stolz was not as heavy a medal favorite in the mass starts as he was in the sprints, though he did make the World Cup podium twice this season, including a win in Hamar, Norway.

The mass start is a 16-lap pack race similar to cycling’s Tour de France. The goal is for skaters to position themselves so they can make a furious sprint on the final lap, chasing down early breakaways so no one gets out too far ahead.

It helps to have a teammate in the race who can do some of that work so the person with the better medal chances can conserve their energy. But Stolz was at a disadvantage from the beginning after Ethan Cepuran barely missed out on the final.

(Greta Myers played this role in the women’s mass start, and it was decisive in Mia Manganello winning the bronze medal.)

Jorrit Bergsma of the Netherlands was one of the favorites for gold, having won the mass start season title. He made a break in the third lap, and Denmark’s Viktor Hald Thorup went with him. But none of the other contenders gave chase, which meant Stolz couldn’t, either.

If he’d tried to go too early, he’d have expended precious energy catching Bergsma and Thorup and risked not having any left for the final sprint. The pack likely would have followed him, too, meaning all his work would have been for nothing.

‘If I’d have known that, that they would have been reluctant to chase even when none of the guys have a medal (here), I probably would’ve attacked a little bit more,’ Stolz said. ‘But if I would’ve done that, they still would’ve just followed me and I would’ve just canceled out.’

Had Cepuran been in the race, he could have chased Bergsma and Thorup down. But he wasn’t. Instead, Stolz kept looking back at the pack, which included Italy’s Andrea Giovannini and Czechia’s Metoděj Jílek, both of whom had World Cup wins this season, and Beijing Olympic champion Bart Swings of Belgium, as if to ask if anyone was going to go.

But they sat tucked in behind him as the laps dwindled. Swings’ teammate Indra Medard did make a move after the halfway point of the race, but it wasn’t enough to bring along the rest of the pack.

‘If they’re all sitting behind me at four laps to go and I’m not building the pace and the two guys in front just keep getting further and further ahead, that’s clear to me that they were kind of settling for third,’ Stolz said.

Stolz started sprinting with about a lap and a half to go and Giovannini quickly gave chase. The two were almost even as they came down the final straightaway before Giovannini dove over the finish just ahead of Stolz.

Stolz finished 0.09 seconds behind Giovannini.

‘I was the only one from Italy, so I knew it wasn’t easy to control the race,’ Giovannini said. ‘So that’s it, we stayed in the group and went for the final sprint.’

Despite the way the mass start unfolded, Stolz is hardly disappointed with how these Games went. The 21-year-old set Olympic records on his way to winning both the 500 meters and 1,000 meters, and also won silver in the 1,500 meters.

His three medals are the most by any U.S. Winter Olympian at a single Games since fellow speedskater Chad Hedrick also won three in Turin in 2006.

And now he has a valuable lesson for next time.

‘There’s planning that I could have done a little bit better,’ Stolz said, referring to imagining a scenario like this in the mass start. ‘But overall I think it was successful.’

MILAN — This time there was only Malinin magic.

It was only an exhibition, mind you, not competition with medals and legacy at stake. But Ilia Malinin delivered. Like only a showman on ice skates can.

Two quads.

A backflip.

Balletic artistry, with street cred.

When the four-minute routine ended, the crowd rewarded Malinin with thunderous cheers at the ice skating exhibition gala.

‘This message and this program and song is something that really spoke to me. It really represented how I’ve been feeling the last year leading up to these Olympics,’ Malinin said. ‘There’s been so much pressure, so much doubt and everything around me, the noise with the media….It’s been so overwhelming.’

Watch Olympics figure skating on Peacock

During the gala on ice, there was a touch of sadness, seeing Malinin’s immense talent and artistry only days after an eighth-place finish on the free skate doomed him in the men’s individual competition.

‘With what happened, I’m still very, very grateful to be here and I want to show to the world we’re also human beings,’ he said.

During his performance at the exhibition, he oozed with confidence. The self-proclaimed ‘Quad God’ vaulted into the air for his signature quad spins. Not once, but twice, followed by the magical backflip.

He was dressed for the moment too. In a dark hoodie. In dark pants that looked painted white on the front and back.

Shaking his mane of sandy blond hair as he glided across the ice. Truly, it was a moment to behold and reminder of how much skill this 21-year-old American has — and what we might see in 2030, the next time he skates on the Olympic stage.

One of the most successful bobsledders in Olympic history teamed with a rookie to add another piece of hardware to the USA’s 2026 medal count.

Pilot Kaillie Armbruster Humphries and push athlete Jasmine Jones finished third in the two-woman bobsled event Saturday, Feb. 21 at the Cortina Sliding Center, giving Armbruster Humphries her sixth Olympic medal. The medal was also Armbruster Humphries’ second bronze of these Games following her third-place finish in monobob earlier this week, while Jones collects her first.

Armbruster Humphries’ medal count now equals that of fellow bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor and legendary speed skater Bonnie Blair as the most decorated American women in Winter Olympic history with six medals apiece.

‘This is the first mom duo that gets to be on an Olympic podium,’ said Armbruster Humphries, who had son Aulden in June 2024, of herself and Jones, who had daughter Jade in Feb. 2021. ‘It really is special to team up with Jasmine this year, this season. But to share this moment together with her, to know what it took from all of our families to be able to support us, not just as athletes, but within our mom journeys as well, it really took everything we had. And I’m so proud of how Jasmine pushed and kept me in the game fighting.’

Laura Nolte and Deborah Levi of Germany successfully defended their 2022 gold. Their countrywomen Lisa Buckwitz and Neele Schuten took silver.

The first three medals of Armbruster Humphries’ Olympic career came during her time with Team Canada before she began competing for Team USA in 2019. In her first Olympics with the U.S., Armbruster Humphries won gold in the monobob in the 2022 Games in Beijing before adding monobob bronze behind Meyers Taylor’s gold here in Cortina on Feb. 16.

After two runs in two-woman Friday, Team USA had two of three sleds in the top five.

Humphries and Jones were third with a two-run time of 1:54.16, 0.23 seconds off leaders Laura Nolte and Deborah Levi of Germany. Kaysha Love and Azaria Hill were fifth with a time of 1:54.55, 0.39 seconds behind their closest teammates. Elana Meyers Taylor, the 2026 monobob gold medalist, and Jadin O’Brien were 12th at 1:55.13 after a disastrous second run that pushed them from 0.22 seconds behind the leader to 1.03.

Both Armbruster Humphries and Love held their position in the third run, while Meyers Taylor zoomed to sixth. Love finished fifth, while Meyers Taylor wasn’t able to overcome the second run and tied Swiss sliders Debora Annen and Salome Kora for seventh. It was the first non-podium finish of her Olympic career.

Jones was a sprinter at Eastern Michigan, where her coach nominated her for an All-American Award in 2018. That’s when Meyers Taylor reached out to Jones via email. Five years later, Jones made her IBSF World Championship debut. Three years after that, she won gold as Armbruster Humphries’ push athlete in an IBSF World Cup race in St. Moritz. 

Now, she’s an Olympic medalist.

This story will be updated.

Reach USA TODAY Network sports reporter Payton Titus at ptitus@gannett.com, and follow her on X @petitus25.

Javonte Williams enjoyed a career-reviving season with the Dallas Cowboys. Now he is set to stick around the foreseeable future.

The Cowboys agreed to a three-year, $24 million extension with the running back on Feb. 21, the team announced. It includes $16 million guaranteed and comes with an average annual value (AAV) of $8 million, tying D’Andre Swift of the Chicago Bears as the 16th-highest-paid running back in the league.

It’s a move that will keep Williams from hitting free agency, after he inked a one-year, $3 million deal with Dallas last offseason.

Williams returned to form in 2025, after another year removed from a torn ACL injury he suffered as a member of the Denver Broncos.

The running back regained his explosiveness, totaling 252 carries, 1,201 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns – all career-highs. He added 35 catches, 137 receiving yards and two touchdowns as a receiver to cap off his fifth season in the league.

Still only 25 years old, Williams will be 26 by Week 1 next season.

Javonte Williams contract details

Williams agreed to a three-year contract worth $24 million, including $16 million guaranteed and an AAV of $8 million.

The running back market hasn’t been kind to the players in recent memory. Players like Williams have found it hard to extract a lot of value from the open market, since the draft has seen plenty of quality running backs enter the league.

The plug-and-play nature of the position has kept salaries low while workloads have remained high.

Javonte Williams career earnings

Williams has earned about $13.4 million in his career through five seasons, according to Spotrac.

That includes a four-year, $8.8 million rookie contract with the Denver Broncos after being drafted with the 35th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, a one-year, $3 million contract with the Cowboys and any incentive bonuses that came with it.

Cowboys RB depth chart

• Javonte Williams
• Malik Davis
• Jaydon Blue

Williams enters the offseason as the unquestioned RB1 in Dallas’ offense. Of course, the contract made that a given, but the depth behind him doesn’t figure to present much competition for Williams.

Davis and Blue profile as complementary pieces, but the Cowboys may not be done adding to this position group yet.

The New York Yankees and their fans were greeted by all the glory of the senses in the team’s Grapefruit League opener at Tampa’s Steinbrenner Field. 

The crack of the bat − from two Aaron Judge home runs and a monster shot from prospect Spencer Jones. The feel of the Hillsborough County sunshine on an 83-degree day. 

And the smell of, well, raw sewage. 

A pair of sewer lines broke outside the main entrance to George M. Steinbrenner Field, causing fans to tip-toe around what a security guard reportedly referred to as ‘the poo-poo water.’ 

Underground, the scene was much worse. 

The Yankees clubhouse was inundated with sewage, manager Aaron Boone telling reporters: ‘It’s not great. It’s all over the place.’ 

The sewage reportedly had not reached the portion of the clubhouse housing the players’ lockers. Yet the mess forced Yankees players to conduct interviews in a hallway − where the funk was still palpable.

Not exactly the way you want to begin Grapefruit League play. 

It’s an unfortunate turn for a field that saw multi-million dollar renovations the past couple years, both for the Yankees and to accommodate the Tampa Bay Rays during their one regular season campaign there last year as they relocated due to hurricane damage. 

In better news for the Yankees, they defeated the Detroit Tigers 20-2. In less optimal news, the New York Mets are due in town come morning − leaving a quick turnaround time to fix the glitch. 

And hopefully eradicate the stench. 

American women tennis star Sloane Stephens and her husband Jozy Altidore are splitting after four years of marriage, according to Stephens.

The 2017 U.S. Open Champion and the former soccer player have decided to go their separate ways, according to an Instagram story Stephens shared to her followers.

‘Jozy and I have decided to end our marriage,’ the post read on Saturday. ‘With peace, I am navigating this transition with mutual respect and kindly ask for privacy during this time.’

The couple has known each other since they were in middle school and got engaged in April 2019. The two would marry three years later at the oceanfront St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort in Miami Beach on Jan. 1 in 2022, People Magazine reported.

Who is Sloane Stephens?

Stephens, 32, is a professional tennis player who grew up between Florida and California. She was born in Florida, but got her introduction to tennis when living in Fresno, California.

Stephens turned pro at 16 in 2009. She’s won eight career WTA titles, including her 2017 U.S. Open championship. Her most recent performance was a first-round loss at the Australian Open in January to Karolína Plíšková.

She boasts a 380–284 in singles, and a 58–81 record in doubles, where she’s won a title at the 2024 Charleston Open with partner Ashlyn Krueger.

Who is Jozy Altidore?

Altidore, 36, is a former professional soccer player who played from 2006 to 2022. He was born in New Jersey but was predominantly raised in Boca Raton, Florida, where he met Stephens.

He was drafted to the Metro Stars, now New York Red Bulls, with the 17th overall pick in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft.

Altidore has also suited up for a plethora of teams, including Villarreal CF of La Liga, Sunderland A.F.C of the Premier League, and Toronto FC and New England Revolution of the MLS.

He also has 115 caps with the U.S. men’s national team.

‘MLS is Back’ opening weekend features as scintillating a matchup as the league can offer, when Los Angeles FC hosts Inter Miami at the historic L.A. Memorial Coliseum on Saturday, Feb. 21.

This will be the first time that LAFC has played a league match at the Coliseum, which is located next to the club’s regular home — BMO Stadium — in L.A.’s Exposition Park.

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami enter the 2026 season as reigning league champions, having won the club’s first MLS Cup over the Vancouver Whitecaps. LAFC — which features South Korean soccer icon Son Heung-min and 2023 MLS Golden Boot winner Denis Bouanga — are a heavy favorite to reach MLS Cup this season. Both squads also feature high-profile newcomers. Both squads made big offseason acquisitions: While Inter Miami signed goal-scoring threat Germán Berterame, LAFC picked up midfielder Stephen Eustáquio on loan.

USA TODAY Sports will provide updates and highlights for the LAFC-Inter Miami match:

How to watch LAFC vs Inter Miami

• Date: Saturday, Feb. 21
• Time: 9:30 p.m. ET
• Streaming: Apple TV
• Location: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

Watch MLS games on Apple TV

Inter Miami starting 11: Lionel Messi, Germán Berterame in lineup

Two-time reigning league MVP Lionel Messi and high-priced newcomer Germán Berterame are in Inter Miami’s starting lineup for the showdown against LAFC at the Coliseum.

Dayne St. Clair, another big offseason acquisition for Miami, makes his debut with the team. St. Clair was MLS Goalkeeper of the Year last season with Minnesota United.

LAFC starting 11: Son Heung-Min anchors front line

LAFC is rolling out the same starting lineup that throttled Real España of Honduras, 6-1, in Concacaf Champions Cup play on Feb. 17.

In that match, Denis Bouanga had a hat trick, and Son Heung-Min scored on a penalty kick and had three assists. Son and Bouanga will need to be very active if LAFC looks to knock off the reigning league champions.

Lionel Messi injury update: Reigning two-time MVP to play vs. LAFC

Lionel Messi picked up a hamstring injury during the preseason, forcing the postponement of an Inter Miami friendly match in Puerto Rico.

On Friday, Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano confirmed Messi’s availability for the 2026 MLS season opener in Los Angeles.

‘Messi is good. He trained the whole week with the group and had a very good feeling,’ Mascherano said. ‘He comes in well, ready just like the rest of the team.’

Inter Miami posted a photo of Messi training inside BMO Stadium, home of LAFC.

Why is Inter Miami vs LAFC being played at the LA Coliseum?

The presence of Lionel Messi has made away matches for Inter Miami a hot ticket wherever the club travels. LAFC also has shown it can attract a huge crowd. Saturday’s LAFC-Inter Miami game could be one of the highest-attended standalone matches in the league’s history.

An LAFC match against El Tráfico rival LA Galaxy drew an MLS-record crowd of 82,110 at the Rose Bowl on July 4, 2023. On the Fourth of July the following year, LAFC defeated the LA Galaxy in front of 70,076 fans.

On April 13, 2024, Inter Miami’s visit to play Sporting Kansas City drew 72,610 fans to Arrowhead Stadium, home of the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs. That represents the third-highest attended standalone match in league history. Per ESPN, Messi also helped draw crowds of 60,000-plus for six matches and another six matches at 50,000-plus in attendance.

The LA Coliseum and soccer

Built in 1923, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum will become the first stadium to host three Summer Olympics when the city hosts the 2028 Games. It was also the centerpiece venue for the 1932 and 1984 Olympics.

The Coliseum serves as the regular home for the USC Trojans football team, but has also been the home to the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams (1946-1979 and 2016-2019) and Raiders (1982-1994). The Coliseum also hosted Super Bowl I — then referred to as the first AFL–NFL World Championship Game — as well as Super Bowl VII, which was won by the Miami Dolphins to complete their undefeated 1972 season.

The UCLA Bruins football team played at the Coliseum for more than five decades (1928-1981), including when Hall of Fame baseball player Jackie Robinson was star football and track and field athlete for UCLA, with games and meets taking place at the iconic venue.

On top of hosting international soccer matches and friendlies through the years, the Coliseum was briefly the home stadium for the Los Angeles Aztecs of the original NASL.

MLS is Back opening weekend games

(All games on Apple TV)

Saturday, Feb. 21

• St. Louis City SC 1, Charlotte FC 1
• FC Cincinnati 2, Atlanta United 0
• D.C. United vs. Philadelphia Union, 7:30 p.m. ET
• Orlando City SC vs. New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m. ET
• Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Real Salt Lake, 7:30 p.m. ET
• Austin FC vs. Minnesota United, 8:30 p.m. ET
• FC Dallas vs. Toronto FC, 8:30 p.m. ET
• Houston Dynamo vs. Chicago Fire, 8:30 p.m. ET
• Nashville SC vs. New England Revolution, 8:30 p.m. ET
• Los Angeles FC vs. Inter Miami (at L.A. Memorial Coliseum), 9:30 p.m. ET
• Portland Timbers vs. Columbus Crew, 10:30 p.m. ET
• San Diego FC vs. CF Montreal, 10:30 p.m. ET
• San Jose Earthquakes vs. Sporting Kansas City, 10:30 p.m. ET

Sunday, Feb. 22

• LA Galaxy vs. New York City FC, 7 p.m. ET
• Seattle Sounders vs. Colorado Rapids, 9:15 p.m. ET (FS1)

MLS 2026 season predictions

Can Lionel Messi lead Inter Miami to consecutive league championships, thus becoming the first repeat MLS Cup winner since the Los Angeles Galaxy did it in 2011-12? Which teams are the top contenders to displace Miami’s station atop the league? Who will win league MVP honors? Which player will score the most goals and claim the Golden Boot?

MLS championship odds

According to BetMGM, Inter Miami and Los Angeles FC are the favorites to win the 2026 league championship:

• Inter Miami: +400
• Los Angeles FC: +600
• San Diego FC: +900
• Vancouver Whitecaps: +900
• Philadelphia Union: +1400
• FC Cincinnati: +1400
• New York City FC: +1800
• LA Galaxy: +1800
• Seattle Sounders: +1800
• Columbus Crew: +1800

Which MLS clubs are in Concacaf Champions Cup?

Both Inter Miami and Los Angeles FC are among the nine MLS teams taking part in this year’s edition of the Concacaf Champions Cup, the top club competition for North, Central America, and the Caribbean.

While Inter Miami (along with the Seattle Sounders) earned byes into the Round of 16, LAFC already played its first game, earning a resounding 6-1 win over Real España of Honduras on Feb. 17. LAFC — a two-time runner-up in the competition (2020 and 2023) — hosts Leg 2 at BMO Stadium on Feb. 24.

TEMPE, AZ — He’s the iron man of pitching, stretching the human element to limits beyond comprehension, so it only made sense that World Series hero Yoshinobu Yamamoto was the first pitcher to step onto the mound Saturday in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ spring-training opener.

“When you think about it,’’ Joel Wolfe, Yamamoto’s agent, told USA TODAY Sports, “what can’t he do?’’

Let’s see, in the past 12 months, he led the Dodgers in the regular season with 30 starts and 173.2 innings, going 12-8 with a 2.49 ERA.

In the playoffs, he became the first pitcher to throw consecutive complete games since Curt Schilling for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001, and the first to pitcher to end a World Series game by retiring 20 consecutive batters since Don Larsen’s perfect game in 1956.

In the World Series, he was the first pitcher to start a World Series game one night and pitch on no days’ rest the next since Hall of Famer Randy Johnson in 2001 against the New York Yankees.

And here was Saturday, back on the mound, dominating the Los Angeles Angels in their Cactus League debut, yielding three hits and one earned run with three strikeouts, throwing 22 of his 30 pitches for strikes.

“I was already feeling good in practice,’’ he said. “I was looking forward to the feeling, the delivery, and those things.’’

When he walked off the mound, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts patted him on the back and told him, “Good luck in the WBC.’

Oops. Yamamoto reminded him that he will make one more start Friday. He then is scheduled to fly to Japan and help Team Japan in its quest to win consecutive World Baseball Classic titles.

How in the world can you describe what this dude is doing?

“Easy,’’ said Wolfe, who was among the sellout crowd at Tempe Diablo Stadium watching the game, “he’s a freak. There’s nobody like him. He doesn’t follow the typical standards and limitations of other people.’’

It would certainly be understandable for the Dodgers to try to persuade Yamamoto to pass on the WBC. The tournament’s history is littered with pitchers who either broke down or struggled in the ensuing season. Yet, the Dodgers didn’t interfere a bit. They actually encouraged him, knowing how much this means to Yamamoto wearing his country’s colors, and the pride he takes in trying to lead Japan back atop the international baseball world.

“For me, and for all of us,’’ Roberts said, “you’re just believing in the player. He knows what it takes to get ready for a season. He takes care of himself. For me, it’s an easy way to kind of think and wrap my head around, believing in him and trusting him.

“From the day we signed him, how intentional he is about his work and body care. He’s not going to put himself in harm’s way.’’

When Yamamoto was asked Saturday if he had thoughts at all about skipping the WBC, he started laughing so hard, he never answered.

Yamamoto said he already spoke to the Dodgers about his workload in the WBC. He’s scheduled to start in the opening series with their first game March 7 in Tokyo against Chinese Taipei.

The reality is that the Dodgers began planning a detailed spring-training schedule for Yamamoto two weeks after the World Series concluded, with the Dodgers’ trainers and conditioning employees keeping in contact virtually every day. He took only one month off before he began training again in December.

“They were so deeply immersed in everything that he does,’’ Wolfe said, “it wasn’t like they were just winging it. They planned how spring training was going to go, the WBC, load management, and planning out the season. It’s all been carefully orchestrated.’’

Yamamoto still doesn’t consider him a hero, and blushes when folks call him a Dodgers legend, but make no mistake about it — he would love to become the first Japanese pitcher to win a Cy Young Award, and add a few more to his trophy case as he begins the third year of his 12-year, $325 million contract.

“He wants to be great,” Roberts said. “He wants to win a Cy Young. He hasn’t done that yet, so that’s a carrot. But I think he prides himself on being consistent and being really good. Every time he takes the ball, he expects to win, we expect to win.’’

Says Wolfe: “He’s so driven, but to him, personal goals are secondary. He just wants to win. You saw it in the World Series. The guy’s literally willing to do anything and everything to win. Think about how young (27) he is, too. He’s just getting better and better and stronger and stronger, and learning more and more about the hitters. He just keeps developing.

“This guy is the Michael Jordan version of pitching.’’

He’s proving why teams were tripping over each other trying to sign him two years ago, and with a full-scale bidding war, the New York Mets were actually told to stop raising their offer when Yamamoto made his intentions known that he wanted to pitch for the Dodgers.

Teams who heavily scouted Yamamoto in his last season in Japan watched him lead Japan to the WBC title in the spring of 2023. He then went on to win his third consecutive Eiji Sawamura Award (Japan’s version of the Cy Young) by leading the league in victories, ERA and strikeouts. And for a curtain call, he carried the Orix Buffaloes to Game 7 of the World Series by throwing 138 pitches and striking out 14 batters in their Game 6 victory.

“Here’s a guy who was about to be posted, get what we thought would be a $100-million-plus deal, so you think maybe he’d throttle it down a little,’’ Wolfe said. “Even we were saying, ‘Hey, don’t get hurt. Be careful.’ But that wasn’t him. He just kept that throttle going.’’

So, considering Yamamoto’s resume in Japan, why should anyone be shocked watching him throw a complete game in Game 2 of the World Series, pitch six shutout innings in Game 6, pitch 2⅔ innings in relief in their 5-4, 11-inning victory in Game 7, and win the World Series MVP with a 3-0 record and 1.02 ERA with 15 strikeouts?

Andrew Friedman, Dodgers president of baseball operations, called it the “greatest accomplishment I’ve ever seen on a baseball field.’’

And for Yamamoto, well, it brought simple tranquility.

“I was able to get into the offseason with a great feeling,’’ Yamamoto said when he arrived into camp, “and I was able to go into the offseason with more calmness.’’

Yamamoto’s chill attitude and extraordinary work ethic is why Roberts refuses to freak out over his WBC participation, saying there simply are no hard-core facts that his early ramp-up could lead to an injury or poor performance.

“I think I’m confident because there’s no exact science on ramping up early,’’ Roberts said. “Could it affect him later this year? Absolutely,’’ Roberts said. “But it could also not affect him.

“I don’t live in that world, I really don’t. … It’s up to all of us to be mindful of workloads, short-term and long-term.’’

So, the looming question now is that, after throwing 211 innings last season, winning his second consecutive World Series title, along with the World Series MVP, what can Yamamoto possibly do for an encore?

“I think we were all blown away from what he accomplished in the World Series,’’ Wolfe said, “but you do wonder what’s next. Who knows? But knowing him, I’m sure he’ll find something.’’

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Another day of competition is in the books at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.

Athletes from more than 90 countries are battling in 116 events over 16 days, and USA TODAY is keeping a tally of every nation finishing on the podium. Here’s a look at the latest medal standings after all the action wrapped up on Saturday, Feb. 21.

Find the upcoming medal event schedule below.

USA TODAY Sports has a team of more than a dozen journalists on the ground in Italy to bring you behind the scenes with Team USA and keep you up to date with every medal win, big moment and triumphant finish. Get our Chasing Gold newsletter in your inbox every morning and join our WhatsApp channel to get the latest updates right in your texts.

Broadcast coverage of the 2026 Milano Cortino Winter Olympics is airing exclusively airing across NBC’s suite of networks with many competitions airing live on its streaming service, Peacock, which you can sign up for here .

What is the medal count at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics?

All data accurate as of Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, at 7:00 p.m.

Meet Team USA 2026: Get to know the athletes behind the games

• 1. Norway: 40 Total (18 Gold, 11 Silver, 11 Bronze)
• 2. United States: 32 Total (11 Gold, 12 Silver, 9 Bronze)
• 3. Italy: 30 Total (10 Gold, 6 Silver, 14 Bronze)
• 4. Germany: 24 Total (7 Gold, 9 Silver, 8 Bronze)
• 5. Japan: 24 Total (5 Gold, 7 Silver, 12 Bronze)
• 6. France: 23 Total (8 Gold, 9 Silver, 6 Bronze)
• 7. Netherlands: 20 Total (10 Gold, 7 Silver, 3 Bronze)
• 8. Switzerland: 20 Total (6 Gold, 8 Silver, 6 Bronze)
• 9. Canada: 20 Total (5 Gold, 6 Silver, 9 Bronze)
• 10. Austria: 18 Total (5 Gold, 8 Silver, 5 Bronze)
• 11. Sweden: 16 Total (6 Gold, 6 Silver, 4 Bronze)
• 12. China: 13 Total (4 Gold, 3 Silver, 6 Bronze)
• 13. South Korea: 10 Total (3 Gold, 4 Silver, 3 Bronze)
• 14. Australia: 6 Total (3 Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze)
• 15. Czech Republic: 5 Total (2 Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze)
• 16. Finland: 5 Total (0 Gold, 1 Silver, 4 Bronze)
• 17. Great Britain: 4 Total (3 Gold, 1 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 18. Slovenia: 4 Total (2 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze)
• 19. Poland: 4 Total (0 Gold, 3 Silver, 1 Bronze)
• 20. Spain: 3 Total (1 Gold, 0 Silver, 2 Bronze)
• 21. New Zealand: 3 Total (0 Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze)
• 22. Latvia: 2 Total (0 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze)
• 23. Bulgaria: 2 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 2 Bronze)
• 24. Brazil: 1 Total (1 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 25. Kazakhstan: 1 Total (1 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 26. Denmark: 1 Total (0 Gold, 1 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 27. Estonia: 1 Total (0 Gold, 1 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 28. Georgia: 1 Total (0 Gold, 1 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 29. Individual Neutral Athletes: 1 Total (0 Gold, 1 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 30. Belgium: 1 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 1 Bronze)
• 31. Albania: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 32. Andorra: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 33. Argentina: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 34. Armenia: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 35. Azerbaijan: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 36. Benin: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 37. Bolivia: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 38. Bosnia Herzegovina: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 39. Chile: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 40. Chinese Taipei: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 41. Colombia: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 42. Croatia: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 43. Cyprus: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 44. Ecuador: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 45. Eritrea: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 46. Greece: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 47. Guinea-Bissau: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 48. Haiti: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 49. Hong Kong, China: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 50. Hungary: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 51. Iceland: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 52. India: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 53. Ireland: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 54. Islamic Rep. of Iran: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 55. Israel: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 56. Jamaica: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 57. Kenya: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 58. Kosovo: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 59. Kyrgyzstan: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 60. Lebanon: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 61. Liechtenstein: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 62. Lithuania: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 63. Luxembourg: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 64. Madagascar: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 65. Malaysia: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 66. Malta: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 67. Mexico: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 68. Monaco: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 69. Mongolia: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 70. Montenegro: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 71. Morocco: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 72. Nigeria: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 73. North Macedonia: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 74. Pakistan: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 75. Philippines: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 76. Portugal: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 77. Republic of Moldova: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 78. Romania: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 79. San Marino: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 80. Saudi Arabia: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 81. Serbia: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 82. Singapore: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 83. Slovakia: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 84. South Africa: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 85. Thailand: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 86. Trinidad & Tobago: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 87. Turkiye: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 88. Ukraine: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 89. United Arab Emirates: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 90. Uruguay: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 91. Uzbekistan: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 92. Venezuela: 0 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)

2026 Winter Olympics medal events upcoming schedule

Feb. 22

• CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING: Women’s 50km Mass Start Classic
• CURLING: Women’s Gold Medal Game
• BOBSLED: Men’s Quads Final
• ICE HOCKEY: Men’s Gold Medal Game